Entry-level qualification at SIRPLUS
Due to war and terror, almost 68 million people worldwide are currently forced to flee their home countries. This is the highest number of people displaced simultaneously since World War II. Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia are particularly affected. The majority of refugees are fleeing to neighboring countries. Turkey, Iran, and Lebanon have taken in millions of refugees. Hundreds of thousands are also fleeing to Europe. After approximately 890,000 refugees came to Germany in 2015, the number of registered asylum seekers in Germany has fallen sharply again. In 2017, approximately 187,000 asylum seekers were registered, roughly the same number as in 2014.
Many refugees are young, well-educated, and hope to find work in Germany. The employment rate for people from the crisis regions of Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, and Syria is therefore rising. In March of this year, the employment rate was 25.8%, almost twice as high as in 2016 (15%).
One in four migrants now has a job. Entry-level qualifications are helpful in this regard.
Entry-level qualification… what exactly is that?
Just like the food products at SIRPLUS, which come to us via roundabout routes, we offer job seekers the opportunity to transition from a long-term internship to an apprenticeship through our entry-level qualification program .
The entry-level qualification program, or EQ for short, is run by the Federal Employment Agency. Job seekers who haven't yet secured an apprenticeship can use the EQ program to try out a different trade in a company through a 6- to 12-month internship. EQ participants also attend vocational school, where they learn the content of the first year of an apprenticeship. If both the intern and the company are satisfied with each other during the internship, this can lead to an apprenticeship contract.
Refugees can also be introduced to vocational training through the EQ program if they do not have a professional qualification recognized in Germany.
Our EQ team
Since we at SIRPLUS not only want to make sustainability and a future-proof lifestyle mainstream, but also want to act as a role model in the social sphere, we were all immediately enthusiastic about the EQ program.
About a year ago, our dear Anne told us about the program and has been involved as a trainer for our EQ participants and trainees ever since.
What convinces us about the concept is that we can give people who have been waiting for an apprenticeship or job for years the opportunity to integrate even more and to dedicate their strength and energy to something meaningful.
By participating in the EQ program, SIRPLUS wants to give something back to society and also pass something on, and finds it important to set an example and motivate other companies to participate.
The EQ program offers refugees a chance to obtain an apprenticeship despite school or language problems or the required qualifications, and thus also a way to make their social contribution.
Only if we all pull together can we provide a place in society for the hundreds of thousands of people still desperately seeking vocational training in Germany. The program is not just for refugees; it also includes Germans who are struggling to find an apprenticeship.
“We not only want to contribute to the fight against food waste, but also fulfill our responsibility as an employer and give everyone the chance to become part of our mission,” explained Kim, our HR Manager.
In 2017, four refugees from Afghanistan, Egypt, and Syria began the EQ program with SIRPLUS. Aminullah, Farhad, and Sameh started their apprenticeships with us this year. We will introduce these three apprentices to you in more detail over the next few weeks.
